


Something Immortal

by FredAndGeorgeForever



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Bad Wolf Rose Tyler, Doctor Who References, F/M, Illnesses, Immortality, Jack Harkness' Coat, Life After The Doctor (Doctor Who), M/M, OC, Regeneration, Torchwood Three, i bring life, janto
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:35:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25821493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FredAndGeorgeForever/pseuds/FredAndGeorgeForever
Summary: Captain Jack Harkness has already lost too many loved ones, but what happens when he keeps meeting and losing Ianto Jones through time?
Relationships: Gwen Cooper/Rhys Williams, Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones, Johnny Davies/Rhiannon Davies, OC/OC
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	1. Intro

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was originally posted on FF.net

Once upon a time, there was an impossible man from the future.

He was running away because he couldn't bear to live the way he was used to.

He fell in love with someone he shouldn't have,

and now he has to face the consequences about having to live forever.

Because you see, Jack was a cursed man.

A long while ago the Bad Wolf gifted him with being able to live forever.

But what no one except the Bad Wolf knew was that this gift contained a lot more than he knew.

Without other people's knowledge, it also contained the curse of true love.

So that when he would find his true love, his love would -eventually- die and would be reborn years later.

And of course, because it's true love, they would always find a way back to each other.

But Jack wasn't only cursed with having to live forever, he was also cursed with knowledge.

Because every time when his lover dies, he would have to live on with the knowledge that the next time they would meet, his lover wouldn't recognise him for who he truly was.

Never beforehand did Jack know he was soon to meet - the next version of - Ianto Jones.

As his -former- lover was dreaming every night about a man he had never seen before.

A man Ianto was soon to meet for the very first time, in real life.

But what Ianto didn't know was that death was just waiting around the corner.

All that they knew was about to change.


	2. Part 1: Disaster Strikes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack's life is about to change, forever

After the 456 fiasco Jack simply went running. Running for his problems and trying to forget, but alas it wasn't that simple. So after the whole mortal/immortal incident, Jack decided to stay just where he was Wales, to be more specific Cardiff. He decided to buy a nice house there and watch after the Jones's family. It was the least he could do. When Jack slept or more like if he slept his dreams where plagued with Ianto, his daughter, and grandson. He would never be able to forget the things that happened that week. So when he'd wake up he screamed a high pitched scream that could wake up the entire neighbourhood. Which was at least once a week. Once a week he would visit the Cooper's, the only one left - alive - of his favourite team but because it was currently 2055 they had moved out of their home and moved to a retirement home.

With nothing special to occupy his mind and no extraterrestrial threats having to be solved, the Captain sometimes got quite bored. Officially Torchwood three was closed, or more like blown to pieces, but Jack still kept trying to safe the earth from aliens. Occasionally secret service contacted him and together they saved the earth, but most of the time he was just trying to catch weevils.

With nothing else to do he just started walking and bumped into a vaguely familiar person.

When Jack turned around Ianto's name fell from his lips and shock consumed him. He just stood there looking at the man he thought to be Ianto walking away from him. But he couldn't in a thousand years move his feet and run after the man. All at once, he was transported back to the day he lost the love of his life and tears started dripping down his cheeks. He saw people looking at him but he didn't care about them right now. All he cared about was his sanity right now. Because Ianto died, he knew that, so why did he suddenly start seeing ghosts?

Aimlessly he started to walk further and unknowingly he walked to maybe the last person on earth he wanted to see right now but at the same time one of his dearest friends still alive, Ianto's niece with her children. Mica was playing with her kids on the playground while the sun was shining and the birds were chirping. Their laughter reached his ears before he could see their silhouettes, and even though his grief - that would never really go away - a smile started to form on his lips.

"Uncle Jack" Ianto screamed at the top of his lungs.

Mica had three children, her firstborn Ianto - named after her hero and uncle - who was 14, then there were the twins Felicia and Jesper who were 9 but biological weren't theirs. Her husband's brother died in a car crash and left two babies behind. So because they were the closest family left they decided to adopt the children.

The boy came running into his arms and Jack hoisted him up and into his arms. The innocent boy always made him feel better.

''Hey there,'' Jack said while he walked with Ianto in his arms into the playground. From the very moment, he'd been born Jack had been hooked on the little boy. In a way, he looked so much like Ianto.

''Hey Jack, what are you doing here?'' Mica asked her while she pushed the swing with their little girl on it. Because for them the twins really felt like their own children.

''I..I was... just a bit of walking.'' The captain answered confused because he had really no idea how he came there in the blink of an eye.

''Well it's nice of you to join us isn't it kids? It's been far too long since we've seen you, Jack.'' Mica said while her smile faded away for just a minute, but put her mask back on just for the kids.

Mica had been having a rough time, her husband - Mike, an American diplomat who was more abroad than at home - didn't really try to help her and just left her alone.

Ever since the 456 fiasco where her favourite - and only- uncle died, she had been going to the shrink. It wasn't like things had been going a lot better ever since then but not worse either. And on top of that, her father had only died about a month ago from a heart attack. So Jack decided to help out as much as possible. Her brother had fled Cardiff as soon as was legally possible and only returned twice a year for his mothers and sisters birthday. But that was about it. She didn't have a lot of support from her mom either, cause of her dementia she didn't always remember her and her condition got a lot worse the last time.

''I know, I'm sorry. So how are things going? Hmm? Like.... how are you doing Ianto? Any good grades?'' Jack said with a smile on his face when he set the boy down. Ianto may be 14 but he would always stay Jack's little boy, he still remembered his birth, how Mike couldn't be there so he jumped in as a substitute husband. He'd been so little, so fragile and one of the things that he would never be able to do again. The first few weeks he'd been sleeping on her couch to help her out with Ianto until her husband returned. After Ianto's death, he vowed never to love another human being again like he did with Ianto and he did, but he had no idea how much he would start to love this little family. And he knew, he knew that he shouldn't do it, cause it would be over in the blink of an eye but he couldn't help it. For her, it was just life, simple and rapid. For him, it was an eternity, a vast amount of heartbreaks, but in the end, everything seemed worth it. Because how dull would life be if he kept living the same plain and quiet life for as long as eternity. At those moments he envied the human species from the 21st century. Their life had meaning, a purpose he didn't have right now. Because he wanted his love at his side, which would never be possible.

''I got an A+ for math yesterday,'' Ianto said while dancing a victory dance.

''Yes and tell the other thing you've done,'' Mica said cross.

''I've hacked the school system.'' He said smiling but he still looked ashamedly to his feet.

''You're rubbing off on him Jack.'' she smiled while she patted him on the back.

''Everything for my little einstein, but next time, you're not going to hack any authorities any more, you understand.'' The captain said while he took the boy in his arms again.

''There's not going to be a next time, come on kids it's time to go home,'' Mica said while she collected their jackets.

''But can uncle Jack come?'' Ianto pleaded with his mother.

''Sure, if he wants to, of course,'' Mica said and went back to Jack who was laughing like a maniac.

''Of course, I'm coming.'' He beamed his thousand-watt smile and off they went like a little family.

\--0o0--

''So how have you been Mica?'' Jack asked later that night after the kids had been off to bed.

''It's been rough, as much as I love mom I can't stand her anymore right now. " She said and drank a little of her tea.

"What happened?" He asked and took her hand to give her a little bit of courage.

" Mum's been asking nonstop why uncle Ianto isn't coming to visit. It just breaks my heart every time she tells me one of their stories from their youth." Mica said and a tear could be seen slowly dripping down her face. Jack squeezed her hand and had to swallow down a lump in his throat because even he had trouble talking about Ianto. The pain he had felt when his love died in his arms had been heavy in his heart since he woke up and saw the too pale Ianto lying too still on the ground. The captain stood up and took one of his dearest friends into his arms. He would do anything to protect her family from the evils Ianto had to suffer.

''Let's go together next time.'' He whispered in her ear. The only thing he wasn't sure about was if he could bear to tell Rhiannon again about what happened that unfortunate day. Because years ago after the 456 invasion had been dealt with he went to Ianto's only living family and told them the truth and nothing but the truth. He told them about Torchwood, aliens, the cause Ianto died for and the most difficult thing of all: how much they loved one another. The captain didn't cry often but when it came to Ianto, he knew tears would be included.

After the pair of them calmed down a little bit, smiles could be seen on their faces when they talked about the things Jack missed the last couple of months.

''You know you have to stop telling the kids all those spectacular stories about how you and Uncle Ianto fought aliens while you were with Torchwood three. All Ianto wants right now is to fight aliens with you when he gets out of school. He's much too young for this and I don't want to lose him like Uncle Ianto. I can remember what you told mom that day. People at Torchwood die young.'' Mica said seriously while she stared into her muck of tea and decided that she needed something stronger. So she walked towards the kitchen and took the bottle of whiskey she had hidden from the family.

''You want some?'' she asked from the kitchen.

''Sure why not.'' The captain said a little bit absent. He never thought that she would ask him to hide who he really was. But while the kids didn't even know all of it - which he had done on purpose - because his life was too much for anyone to understand. The things he'd seen, the things he'd done for the sake of others. Sometimes life wasn't fair and this was one of these situations. Here and there he had a few wrinkles and grey hair but that was the only change in his appearance in more than 2000 years. He didn't even know for sure how long he'd been on this world. The only thing he knew was that it was far too long.

\--0O0--

A few miles down the road Ianto Jones was packing up his belongings. His mother wanted him out of the house, so he had been looking for a serious job to finance his new apartment. But alas the only job available was at the supermarket, behind the pay desk. He couldn't believe he - with his university degree in economy - had to work at the supermarket. But there was nothing else left in such short notice. He had to do what was necessary in order to not live on the street. With his 28 years, he knew he had to go live on his own rather sooner than later, but his constant mental condition kept him from living a normal life, with a girlfriend and so on. His sister had asked him to come live with her and her husband but as much as he wanted he knew he couldn't do that to her. His constant nightmares made him an alien to the world, sometimes he even believed those dreams to be true. But how could Ianto Jones - an ordinary man - be able to fight creatures from another world? Because those beings where certainly not human, but he had absolutely no idea what else they could be. These nightmares started when he was just a young child, and they always contained a man that never changed. But he had never in his life seen this man. But if he was honest, it seemed like he was the only one who understood. A few times it looked like the dreams had been real life, he would communicate with this man. And somehow the older man seemed to calm him down when he was having a panic attack. It wasn't real, he knew that but somehow these dreams seemed more real than his own life. But he didn't dare tell a living soul that he sometimes preferred his dreams. That he sometimes just didn't want to live, because life was way too harsh.


	3. The story unfolds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto's new job will enable him to meet new people, or someone he already knows.

One moment Ianto was in his bed trying to sleep the next he's standing before a warehouse and someone was speaking to him.

"Fifty-first-century pheromones. You people have no idea. Ready for another go?" It is the man again, and in his hand, he holds a large syringe.

"I'm game if you are!" He hears himself say. Around him, everything is pitch black and he has no idea where he could be except maybe somewhere abandoned.

They enter the warehouse and there before him he sees a dinosaur that should've been long dead flying around.

"Split up." The man screams and before Ianto knows the pterodactyl is flying away with the man. He watches them and sees that the mystery man injects the dinosaur with something but before he can see the outcome the man jumps into his arms and they collapse onto the ground where the man lies on top of Ianto. He's so shocked that he can only stare into the man's eyes. But the pterodactyl chose that moment to fall onto the ground, the precise spot where they lay, so the captain took that moment to roll them away. They laughed for a short while before they realised how close they were. He just wanted to kiss the man. But he backed away and declared he needed to go. He could see that the other man didn't want him to go, and secretly neither did he. But he was off the ground before he knew it and walked towards the entrance.

''Hey report for work first thing tomorrow.'' The man yelled after him. But for a reason he didn't really know, a few tears leaked down his face.

''Like the suit, by the way.'' The man said after Ianto hadn't responded back.

That was the exact moment Ianto woke up gasping for air with sweat all over his body.

In the background, he could hear his alarm clock ringing and that's when he knew: real life was just about to start!

-0O0-

In his opinion, the captain's day couldn't get any better. Well, it could always get better in certain ways but only in ones that were possible in real life. Jack had been chasing aliens all day, and he'd found that joy that he could only get after a successful alien hunt. Exhausted he fell onto the couch with a bottle of beer and a pizza. Once in a while, he enjoyed a quiet night in like this, on his own. Tonight was not going to be one of these nights. As at 8 sharp there was a knocking on the door that burst his private bubble. He knew that an alien wouldn't just come knocking on his door but even so the Captain quietly put his gun behind his back when he walked towards to front door. But when he opened the door he quickly hid the gun in his pants. Before him stood a police agent with Mica's children. They looked frightened and each had a big backpack around their shoulders. The captain became frightened when he saw the children. Not long ago he had seen them happy and carefree. On closer inspection, he saw that the kids each had a couple of cuts. On top of that, Felicia was clutching her arm while Jesper looked worried at her. The twins were always looking out for one another.

" Can we come in?" The copper asked. The man obviously knew who he was, no agent in Wales was oblivious to that.

"Sure...sure.... Come in kids." He said while masking his worries.

" Sit down... here take a slice of pizza guys, you must be hungry. You can watch some TV while I go talk with this nice man." Jack said to reassure the kids.

" What happened?" He said a bit freaked out. Never had he seen the kids without Mica, she was always very careful who she trusted her kids with.

" Mrs McKenzie has had an accident, she was driving down the highway when a chain collision arose. The kids only have light injuries but Mrs McKenzie has been hit the hardest. Her husband has been called and will be here as soon as he can.''

''But why me?'' The captain asked more to himself than to the cop.

''Believe me, no one wanted to bring the kids to you, but as there is no other relative available, we had little choice and on top off that the kids asked if they could go to uncle Jack.'' the copper said and rolled his eyes at how cheesy it sounded.

''Alright, but how is Mica?'' Jack asked when he walked with the agent towards the door so that the kids didn't have to hear what they were talking about.

''Things aren't going that well. Last I heard she was in a coma. She's in the University hospital of Wales if you want to visit her.'' After that, the man said goodbye and promised to check up on the kids the next day because everyone knew Jack's reputation in town. So, of course, no one believed he would be able to look after a couple of kids on his own. How he was going to prove them wrong!

That night after a bit of chatting Jack put them to sleep in his -clean- bed, all three of them next to each other. They seemed so cute when asleep. By now it was universal knowledge that the captain didn't need much sleep and sometimes could go days without. But nevertheless, the captain fell into a deep sleep on his couch. His dreams - as usual - clouded by memories of Ianto and all the people he loved and lost in his way to long life. The unusual thing happened and he didn't wake up in the middle of the night screaming his head off. He slept through the night and was woken up by little Ianto. That guy always put a smile on his face. It was 9 in the morning and even when it was an official school day, they weren't expected at school. The police had informed the school that the kids wouldn't come to school for a couple of days. Maybe even longer. This lead Jack with the responsibility of taking care of them for the whole day.

''Uncle Jack....Uncle Jack....'' Ianto said while trying to wake him up properly.

''What's wrong? The house on fire?'' Jack said a little sleepily.

''No, we are hungry and you have next to nothing eatable in your fridge or cupboards.'' the little guy said which made the captain realise that he was meant to go groceries shopping yesterday before those aliens showed up.

''That's right. Seems like we have to go shopping.'' He professed.

-0O0-

Ianto jones knew that from the moment he woke up his day was going to be shit.

His dream had aroused him but scared the shit out of him at the same time. While he was making himself ready for his first workday he kept having this nagging feeling in the back of his head about this day, he just couldn't remember. But he wouldn't have been Ianto Jones if he gave up this easily, he would find out, whatever it took.

Not that long after Ianto left the apartment, he was working in the super. He had been promised that he could work behind the cash desk. But those promises had been futile. He was now currently standing at the front of the supermarket and asking every person that entered if they needed help. But that hadn't been the worst. The worst was that his boss was standing next to him and correcting and spying on everything he did. Nothing could seem to get him more nervous that day than someone looking at every little thing he did. He couldn't say he actually enjoyed this job but every time a family walked in and they were laughing about something he had no idea about, he got a smile on his face. His absurd nightmare of that morning completely forgotten until something quite disastrous happened. He was almost constantly looking at his watch to look if it was already time for his break. That was when it happened. A man walked in with three little children, he looked vaguely familiar.

''Welcome to Tesco, can I help you with anything?'' Ianto Jones said grumpily when they walked into the shop. His neck hairs got up and he knew what his boss was about to say next.

''Ianto! Remember nice and smile!'' He said dangerously low.

''Right, Welcome to Tesco, can I help you with anything?'' Ianto said this time with a false cheer and a fake smile. The man looked up and looked him in the eye. The man looked like he had seen a ghost and stood still right in front of him. The children looked up confused to the man and that was when the drama started.

''Ianto...." fell from the man's lips. he didn't have a nameplate yet and he couldn't quite remember if he'd ever met this man in his life.

''Ianto Jones.....'' the man mumbled confused just before the man grabbed his upper arms so fast and tight, that Ianto began to panic, but just a little.

''You died in my arms, years ago.'' the man said a little confused but more than that afraid.

''You died, I've been to your gravestone more times than I can count. I saw you lie motionless and white after I woke up. You're supposed to be death. We mourned you.'' the man started to get hysterical and tears dripped down his eyes, eventually, his boss intervened.

''Sir, I would advise you to get out of this supermarket if you wouldn't want to get arrested. We don't tolerate such behaviour towards our staff.'' the man let go, shock still visible in his eyes, and took the kids and went away.

''Everything alright?'' his boss asked him when he escorted him towards the breakroom.

''I suppose.''

''Did you know that man?''

''I'm not sure.'' He was shocked, to say the least.

'' You can go home, come back tomorrow same time.'' his boss eventually said after Ianto hadn't answered his other questions

It had turned out to be one crazy day. But he still had this nagging feeling that he knew the man from somewhere. He just couldn't remember.

-0O0-

For a while Jack just sat there, on his couch, not knowing what to do. After his departure with what he had thought was his Ianto Jones he couldn't quite keep his thoughts to the right things. It had been hard enough that today was Ianto's death day. This day many years ago Ianto had died in his arms and he hadn't even had the courage to say 'I love you' to him while that was what he really felt like all along.

He had manned himself up that morning for a little while, just enough to get groceries and other things to make the stay of the kids as good as possible. But when the kids went upstairs to play, the captain had no idea how to avoid the complicated feelings and thoughts he had been battling all day. Because this just had to be a cruel joke or maybe even a hallucination. Ianto Jones was supposed to be dead and not be a part of the land of the living. As much as he wanted to it just couldn't be true, otherwise, Ianto would have recognised him. And it killed him to see a completely perfect duplicate of Ianto and knowing that he will never remember him the way he should. From behind him, he could hear footsteps walking towards him. A little hand wiped away the tears from his face and sat next to him. He looked beside him and saw his little Ianto sitting next to him, his eyes showed a knowledge far wiser than his age. He knew things that he wouldn't tell the captain if it wasn't absolutely necessary.

''uncle jack have you ever loved someone so much that it hurts?'' the wise boy asked him with a sympathetic smile.

''I did, a long time ago,'' Jack said while he took the boy in his arms.

'' Would you tell me?''

''We met for the first in the woods, he was looking for a job and he did everything he could to become part of the team. Eventually, I gave in and I became his boss. We were on a bit of a rough patch at first. In the beginning, it was just sex, but the longer it continued the more I began to feel something inside which scared me. I just couldn't say it. Every time he tried to talk about our relationship I cut him off and told him I didn't want to put a label on our relationship. Only when he died right there in my arms did I realize what I lost. That I lost the most important thing in my life and that I should've said that I loved him and still do.'' the captain told the boy and tears were yet again forming in his eyes, but he had to be tough, especially today. Today really wasn't his day. Never had been, never will be ever again.


	4. Dreams in real life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some talking has to happen.

When Ianto Jones woke up in the morning, ready to get himself ready for work again, he knew. He knew where he had seen this man before. The man that became more than a little hysteric in front of him. That man, the man of his dreams, he had to know his name. Had to speak to him. He needed to know why this man was always in his dreams and why he couldn't seem to stop thinking about him. Is it possible to fall in love with someone you've never seen before in real life? The only problem he faced was how he could ever find that man again?

-0O0-

After two long day's - including the one where he panicked in a full supermarket - the captain had been ready to fall asleep when there came a knocking at his door. Too sleepy to be on his guard - for once - he opened the door without a second thought. A mistake. All at once, his sleep had been forgotten and adrenaline rushed through his veins. Before him - yet again - stood the exact duplicate of his beloved Ianto Jones. Obviously the panic mixed with confusion could be seen in more than just his eyes as he stood there frozen at the door. The man before him looked more than a little pale and his attention kept shifting from the captain's face to the room behind him. It took a while before the captain finally found the courage to man up - which he had to do far more since his Ianto left the realm of the living, so as not to bring other people's lives in danger - and speak to the person in front of him. Sometimes he just had to be the captain and put away his feelings.

" Hello..." the man in front of him said and jumped a little when his next-door neighbour went outside to put the garbage away, his neighbour - Gareth - waved at Jack and watched a little curious at the man on his doorstep and disappeared back into his house.

" Can we talk?" The man asked him when they were - yet again - alone in the street. Without even blinking the captain stepped aside and let the duplicate inside and guided him towards the couch of the living room - also known as his bed most of the time - and sat down in front of him.

" Alright what do you want?" Jack asked a little harsh.

" I'm sorry but what did I do wrong?" Ianto Jones asked confused.

" Nothing... just go on... " the captain told him before sort of skipping to the kitchen to get some booze. Once back the captain looked apologetically to the man in front of him.

" I'm just... I'm confused. For as long as I can remember you are the main subject of my dreams, I don't know why or how but I just need answers. I don't know you but somehow I know you better than even my own sister." The frightening-looking man in front of him said and kept wringing his hands in fear. But what he said made the captain more confused than ever.

" Your dreams?" He said while taking a long sip from the only alcoholic drink left in his house.

Stupefied the captain sat on the chair in front of the couch and looked at what he wished could be his Ianto. The man shook his head and in a way agreed with what Jack had whispered.

" I just want to know why!" He exclaimed when the captain wouldn't say anything anymore.

Just this once Jack didn't have the answers that were demanded of him. His head was spinning and his thoughts made no sense at all.

" Jack is everything alright," the man asked and stood upright ready to walk towards him.

" Don't!"

" How do you know my name? " The captain asked when he finally looked up into the eyes of the man he loved, who he was forced to say goodbye to so many years ago, but this wasn't his Ianto. His Ianto died, but then who was this man in front of him who claimed to know him.

''This college of mine, she told me this morning that she had never seen THE Captain Jack Harkness so distressed. she'd seen you yesterday and just wanted to know what had happened.'' Ianto Jones said while he sat down on the couch again and looked towards Jack with innocent eyes.

''Then how did you find me?'' the captain asked when he took another sip of his alcoholic beverage.

''Well that wasn't exactly that difficult, a) you're in the phonebook and b) you know that college, she lives nearby and was all too happy to tell me your you should blame her,'' Ianto explained and chuckled after he fell quiet.

''Ianto!'' the captain exclaimed, right now jack was on the brink of a breakdown.

''Yes sir?'' Ianto jones asked but was ignored as Jack put his drink on the table and walked towards the boy standing at the other side of the room with wide but sleepy eyes.

''Oh!'' slipped from the man's mouth as he watched from a distance how Jack took the boy in his arms and a smile formed on the younger man's face as he set eyes on the domestic scene.

''Sorry to interrupt but I have to bring this young man back to bed,'' Jack said and saw the little Ianto in his arms wave at his namesake. Sometimes the boy acted much younger than his actual age.

''Hello little man, what's your name?'' Ianto Jones asked just before the captain was about to walk back towards the stairs. The little boy focused his eyes on the man from the shop and before answering glanced once from his uncle to the man.

''Ianto sir..'' the boy said, this made the man chuckle.

''Hello Ianto, I'm Ianto Jones, nice to meet you.'' He said and laughter could be seen in his eyes as the captain separated the Ianto's by bringing the little one back to bed. He could see that the boy was pleading Jack to go back downstairs even when he didn't say it. But Jack knew he just couldn't let the children be present in the conversation he was about to have with the other Ianto who was currently in his living room waiting for him to return.

''Go back to sleep,'' he demanded of the kid and kissed the top of his head. It was exhausting having kids, but he'd wished way too many times for a normal life, to have kids, a family. He just lost count of how many exactly. With jealousy he had seen how Gwen got what she wanted, a loving husband, kids who she adored - and currently grandkids- and of course she kept working for secret services through the rest of her life. When Jack arrived back downstairs he saw Ianto pacing the living room like a maniac. As the man looked up he could see how nervous the other man was. The Ianto Jones in front of him took off his jacket and lay it carefully on the couch as sweat was starting to form on his brow. Why he was so nervous, Jack would never know.

''Alright,'' the captain said after a deep sigh.

''Let's start over.'' Ianto nodded and carefully sat down on the couch and looked the captain in the eye.

''Alright, so you are sure you've never seen me, in the land of the living, before yesterday?'' Jack asked the man in front of him.

''Positive. The dreams, sometimes they start freaking me out. Once I dreamed that I was locked up in a huge room with another woman and we started shooting on this monster from metal with an eyestalk. I was 6 when I dreamed about that. I was properly scared.'' Ianto explained as clearly as he could. He knew the man needed answers, but what could he do if he himself was thunderstruck by the things he heard.

''Ianto can you tell me about yourself, date of birth, parents, relatives that kind of thing.'' The captain asked of the young man in front of him.

''Names Ianto Jones, born in Cardiff in 2027, mother name is Lilly, father's name is Richard, I have one sister she's a few years older and she's living with her husband, they are expecting their first kid.'' He said a bit confused as to why this mattered.

''right...'' The captain muttered and thought about what he had just been told. Shock was still clouding his mind in a way but he had to be the captain right now, he couldn't afford the panic right now. Panic would have to come later when he was alone with his thoughts.

''I have absolutely no idea.'' The captain exclaimed and watched as Ianto Jones became as white as a ghost.

-0O0-

''We've been very fortunate... to live such a long life, Rhys and I,'' Gwen told Jack that week after haven been summoned for an emergency meeting at the elder home. Gwen had been diagnosed with the early stages of dementia - she would be one in a collection of friends who would die from this terrible disease without cure. It had been a shock for everyone, especially Rhys, to see his lover not recognise him and the world around them after all they had been through was maybe one of the worst things that could've happened to them. The kids, being no stranger to the Cooper's - as Gwen too became best friends with the Jones's family - ran into Rhys's arms as soon as they saw him and had been playing - god knows what - with him ever since. Leaving him and Gwen to talk freely without having to worry about them.

" I can still remember when I just started working for Torchwood how jealous I was when I found out that you could live forever. However sorry I am for you Jack right now I'm delighted I haven't been cursed with eternal life. It must be lonely, am I right?" Jack gave her a sad sort of smile when he thought back to all the people he had lost and would lose in the future. Too many people had died on his watch. Maybe one too many. When he looked up to Gwen again, he saw the pity in her eyes, could see how much she would've liked to change history, but alas no such thing was possible for him. He'd already pleaded the doctor to go back in time and rescue Ianto. But Ianto Jones had been a fixed point in time, so there had been nothing he could do. Defeated, the Captain had run away from his problems, but every moment he had longed, longed for his partner's arms around him. His lover's words - with their beautiful Welsh accent - being spoken and most of all just Ianto, in the flesh. For a second Jack looked around him, watching out for something else that might need his attention. When no such thing came he was forced to look at Gwen again and noticed her wrinkles. The one thing that made him realize just how much time had passed since Torchwood was blown up. It was always very easy to forget that when he was talking to her. Her wrinkles portrayed the age she would soon forget she had ever been. And this - above anything else - made the Captain think back to all those years ago when his team had still been complete. Jack lost the control of his thoughts and hung his head, murmuring in a dead, melancholy tone: ''It's my fault, isn't it? All those deaths, all those people dying for the greater good. How did that ever help anybody?''

For a second Gwen didn't know what to answer, it had always been difficult to get Jack out of these moods when he was in one. The captain had lived far too many lives and lost too many people for it to be healthy.

''Jack, just focus on the present. We can't get those people back, however much we want to, what's done is done.'' Was the only thing Gwen managed to say.

''Can I leave the kids with you for a while this afternoon? There are some things I need to do on my own.'' Gwen nodded and off he was. Towards - god knows - how many problems he was going to create for himself.


	5. Love and hospitals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something's about to change.

Torchwood was no more, Jack knew that. But sometimes he wished it still existed. Just so he could keep his mind off things like this. So he could just focus on the job needing to be done instead of longing for the past. The past where things had been slightly better. Where he had at least work to distract his mind from going places. He had restarted Torchwood a while ago but after he was yet again left alone on his own he decided to work on his own in name of torchwood, the only problem was he often had a lot more spare time than he wished. He just needed some time, time to calm down his mind. But if he would find the peace of mind after visiting Mica in the hospital, he had no idea. Her 'husband' still hadn't shown his face to take care of the children, he doubted the police even called him. Every parent would be as soon as humanly possible at his child's side. Or was that just something that only happened in the movies? The captain never liked the man that Mica decided she wanted to live the rest of her life with, but what could he do about it? Nothing, it was her life so she should have to make her own choices. Only the captain couldn't just give it a rest that the man neither called or texted to let them know. When he walked into the hospital, stressed out of his mind, he saw the only figure that he just didn't want to see right now. Ianto Jones's duplicate. He was there, in the little shop. He could see - through the glass - that the man was purchasing a pink teddy bear. The captain - being enchanted by the sight in front of him - just stood there watching the man in front of him. He was just about to turn around and walk away when the other man left the shop and scanned the crowd in front of him when his eyes stopped on the figure of the captain.

He saw a little bit of fear enter the man as he - yet again - saw the mystery man.

Jack wanted to turn around and run away as fast as he could, but no such thing was about to happen as the duplicate already stood in front of him in the blink of an eye.

''Hello,'' Ianto said quietly to him and waited a little while for an answer that never came. The silent pause had been the most uncomfortable one he had ever endured.

''I was just about to visit my sister, had a baby girl yesterday.'' He told the man as a way of explaining why he was present in the hospital today. Lots of grumbling people passed them, as they were standing quite a bit in the way.

''Well, it was nice seeing you.... uhm bye?'' Ianto said very uncomfortable after the captain still hadn't said a thing. He was just about to walk away when Jack grabbed his wrist and turned the younger man around.

''Hey to you too.'' He said with his charming smile that made people fall in love with him. Whatever the duplicate may be, a hallucination or maybe even something alien induced, for the moment Jack didn't care, he just needed to calm down his mind. And if this Ianto was almost exactly like the one he had lost so many years ago, then the man would definitely be able to do that job. A shy smile appeared on the man's lips and the captain let go of his wrist.

''I've seen that smile so many times in my dreams...'' Ianto said which made the captain a little afraid, to be honest, but wasn't enough to damper the mood. Not even when someone bumped into him because for just a moment he could forget that Ianto died. For just a moment it felt like he had never left, that smile, Ianto's smile, how he had missed that smile. Before the captain could keep his mouth or mind in control he asked Ianto: " would you go on a date with me?"

Shock was evident In both of their eyes as Jack acknowledged what he had just done. He hadn't meant to, he just forgot that this wasn't the Ianto he had shared so much with. The older man saw a blush appear on the younger man's face, doubt evident in every possible way.

" I've never... you know?" Ianto managed to mumble while trying not to look at Jack but failing nonetheless. The dreamy eyes of the captain might have persuaded the man as eventually a big smile appeared on Ianto's face and he nodded an unsure yes.

" You don't have to! " The captain exclaimed after he saw the way the man in front of him reacted to his outburst. Ianto started wringing his hands as much as was possible with the wrapped teddy in his arms and nervously looked around him, possibly to check if he didn't see anyone who knew him. Jack knew the symptoms, even in 2055 when almost the whole world - China and Russia and a few Arabian countries were still denying - had acknowledged homosexual people their rights, people still weren't exactly comfortable about having an openly gay relationship.

" It's not that I don't want to." The young man answered quickly, afraid that he'd said something wrong which would have offended the captain.

" It's just, I've never..." Ianto started but was stopped by Jack because he thought he knew what was going through the young man's mind.

" Never been with a man before?" The captain said as a way of explanation. But he was wrong.

" That too, but I've never been on a date in general," Ianto answered, this made the captain shut up.

" You've never been on a date?" Jack asked perplexed. Ianto was about to walk away out of shame when the captain spoke up again.

" So I'm your first?" Jack asked and smirked while he was silently praying the gods that he could have this second chance. Until now, this man acted like his Ianto Jones in every way, which made it all the more painful when he thought about it. But it also made him want to have more. More of Ianto Jones. It didn't matter in whatever way. There was no way Jack could ever forget Ianto Jones, but the thing he missed the most about Ianto was his smile. The smile that would brighten up his day. A smile that he'd missed for so long.

" Yeah." He breathed while the captain asked for his phone. Ianto looked perplexed at him but still handed him his phone. He just didn't know what was happening while the man of his dreams pushed some buttons and gave it back.

" Now you have my number. Text me when you have time. " He said and ran away into another hallway. Leaving a confused Ianto behind.

-0O0-

Jack had sworn to himself many years ago that he would never get into a relationship with anyone. More than once had he failed his own promise. It would make living as an immortal man easier he'd reasoned. But every once in a while he started craving that little thing called love. He tried to deny it. So many times had he told Ianto that their relationship had been nothing but sex. But after a while, he could see the love in the other man's eyes. Could hear how much Ianto wanted to commit and have an official relationship with him. Till the end of his life, he'd denied the man that. Only after his death had he told Ianto's spirit how much he loved him. And the promise he'd made Ianto wasn't even a difficult one, because never in his life would he be able to forget about the Ianto Jones who gave his life for all the children of the earth.

Of course, Ianto Jones hadn't been his first - long time- love and probably neither his last. There had been Angelo, Estelle and many others who he would love for as long as he was cursed to live. Before he met Ianto he swore that he would never attach himself in such a way ever again and lost himself in one-night stands. Love made him weak, made him vulnerable. This was all the more proven when his daughter had been taken from him and later when he had to sacrifice his own grandson. But the one thing human beings crave the most - above all else - is love. Even a human being from the distant future needed love. So when he met Ianto his promise just flew out of the window.

But compared to the others, Ianto Jones had been that one special person. That one person who you couldn't live without. This made it all the more difficult to live on without him.

Sitting beside Mica's motionless body made him think about all the things he could have done differently in his much too long life. Her fragile little body repairing itself while being kept in a coma.

" I wish I could've been there for you." The Captain told her and pinched her hand in a sort of reassuring way. The bleeping of the machines around him made it all the more real. Jack had no idea how long he had been sitting there, he vaguely remembered nurses and occasionally doctors coming in to check Mica. He just sat there thinking, most of all about the life he had been living for such a long time. The one thing he thought about when he entered the room under supervision was why he hadn't come sooner. Mica had taken quite a hit and things had been worse than the copper had told him at first. He knew death was inevitable, knew that one day he would see his dear friend Mica die. But he didn't want it to end so soon. Everything always ended way too soon. He didn't know if he could handle another death right now. It hadn't been his fault that she was lying here but still, it would add up to his conscience. And there had been already far too many people who died on his watch. Children were the worst, they had still so many potential. So many things to see, to experience. Even while he knew it wasn't true he wanted to believe that every fallen child would come back as a guardian for their parents. Help them survive their heartbreak. But those things only happened in fairytales, he knew that. But every once in a while Jack permitted himself to get sentimental and think about the things that never would be. Now was such a moment.

In his mind, the Captain told himself to run forever. Runaway from his problems and never face heartbreak ever again. He just knew that wasn't possible. No one, not even the doctor could run forever. There would be a time when the running would cease to help.

-0O0-

Ianto Jones had been in shock. He wasn't sure if he had really spoken to Jack or had been imagining things. But when he came home late in the afternoon he was truly convinced it had been a trick of the mind. He'd been drinking too much the day before, maybe his head was just telling him he needed to hydrate himself. Or maybe he had just been sleeping on his feet.

After a quiet dinner on his own, he decided that it hadn't been real, but when later that night he found a new number in his cell phone with the name of Jack Harkness he knew something was going on. He ringed the number and after a while, he heard someone say: "Harkness," in a formal tone. Immediately the sleep that had been consuming his thoughts flew away and Ianto was wide awake as he didn't dare to speak.

" Hello?" The man on the other side of the phone line asked. Soon after the bleeping of a broken phone line registered his mind and he locked his phone again. He had the number of Captain Jack Harkness. The number of one of the most important people in Cardiff.

Now he knew for sure that this afternoon's chat hadn't been made up.

This made his fear all the more real, because he had a date!


	6. A date of...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During their 'date' something happens which makes Jack curse himself.

Early in the afternoon, a buzz sounded through the Smith's house. This woke up the little newborn girl who in her place started to scream to everyone who would listen, her sleep-deprived parents responded to their personal alarm clock and started to grumble.

" Will you get that sweetie and if it's those children again tell them to bugger off and bully someone else," Rhiannon said to her husband while she carefully got up from the bed and went towards their newest addition. The little girl kept screaming her head off, face puffy red and tears streaming down her face. She didn't need a new diaper and had quite recently been fed so the only solution she had was that the princes had been disturbed in her sleep. The Mrs of the house tried to suss the baby in her arms while trying to forget the pain from the recent childbirth when someone came barging into the room. With her back to the door, she had no idea who exactly entered and neither did she care at the moment, she just wanted to sleep.

" Things alright Johnny?" She asked thinking her husband just entered.

" As good as humanly possible I'd say," Ianto said with a smirk when he saw her turn around in shock. He walked towards her and gave her a gentle hug, not hurting the baby while he took his big sister in his arms. He saw the desperate look in her eyes and gently took over his newborn niece. Within a minute he'd calmed her down and Rhiannon just knew that her daughter had already wrapped her uncle around her little pinky.

" So to what do we owe the pleasure of yet another visit from you Ianto?" She asked while she was watching her now sleeping daughter in her favourite -and only - brothers arms. Warm brown eyes found his own piercing blue eyes as Ianto looked up at her.

" What's wrong Ianto?" His sister asked him in concern when she saw his face. His face represented how he really felt right now. His anxiety visible in his eyes as he gently walked around the room, his anxiety today had nothing to do with the fears he had in his daily life. Which were a lot if he was totally honest with himself. The fear of seeing his childhood nightmare standing in front of his nose hadn't yet seeped in. It all seemed too surreal for words.

" Ianto talk!" His big sis demanded from him as he stood with his back towards her, trying to calm down his beating heart. If someone told him that aliens had invaded the earth today he would be more persuaded to believe this than what was actually happening in his life.

"I need some advice, I've got a date." He managed to stutter after what seemed hours to him but was actually just a few minutes to the others around him. Rhiannon walked in and looked with big eyes at him. His brother in law had never actually believed that he would settle down one day.

"So who's the lucky lady?" He beat his wife and waited for an answer that never came. The silence was so thick that it could be cut with a knife and was actually really painful. His face blushed when he said the following words: " It's a bloke." He whispered and looked into the eyes of his niece who was looking at him with wonder in his eyes. The sneaky little lady had silently woken up.

" You kidding me? Do I know him?" She asked him and from the corner of his eye, he could see Johnny sitting down in shock. No one had actually imagined him falling for a bloke, the joke had always been - when he was little- that Ianto would end up alone with a cat or something. This was mostly because he had never shown any interest in relationships in general. So in order for Ianto to be going on a date with a bloke told her this person had to be very special to him.

''I'm not certain," he started to stammer and his blush started spreading to his neck.

" Is he Welsh? We must have seen him somewhere if he is." Rhi continued far more chipper than he had expected her to be.

" You don't mind I'm going on a date with a man?" Ianto asked his closest family and Ianto saw her smile one of the brightest smiles he had ever seen her smile in his life.

"Don't be daft Ianto I don't care if it's a man or woman or even an alien. As long as this person makes you happy I'll support your choice no matter what." She said and took him into a bear hug, but took care not to squeeze her daughter. The only thing Ianto didn't want to tell them was that this man, that made him smile and scared at the same time, had been his childhood nightmare for such a long time. And even now he still dreamed about the man, but of course in a much better way. Around his thirteenth birthday, he had started seeing these dreams as something more. The older he got the more he started to fall in love with the man in his dreams and exactly that was what scared him. Because not in a thousand years had he imagined to meet the real-life version of Captain Jack Harkness.

" I'm positive you'll like him." He whispered in her ear.

-0O0-

Captain Jack Harkness had been in a foul mood for - almost- the whole afternoon. He started the day - as usual- with a bright smile on his face and hope for a better future. But today almost as soon as the smile formed it fell. The whole night he had been anxious about the day to come. He'd been so happy about his coming date that this small complication edited his mood entirely. Felicia had woken with the flu and had been especially clammy. Right now all she wanted was her uncle Jack, her teddy and her twin. She had been so sick that she wouldn't even leave the bed except of course to throw up in the loo. The fever had been especially high, so high that he had to phone a doctor. Most of the day she slept like the dead, but when she woke up she would start to cry if she had been left alone. This lead to the Captain having to stay almost nonstop with her. The many stories he had told her had calmed her down a little and her twin managed to get her to smile when the fears kept flowing. The few rogue weevils that had been seen throughout the city had been dealt with by the police, who hadn't been that happy about it but managed to do their job. The whole afternoon the Captain had managed to hide how he really had been feeling because the kid couldn't do anything about it. Who he really was pissed on was their dad for not being there already. It wasn't like Jack despised the kids or something, he loved them and loved having them around so much. But the circumstances under which were a lot less cheerful, he hadn't wanted it this way. The whole afternoon it had been a question if his date that evening would actually happen, but when her fever dropped below the dangerous level and she started to calm down a bit more he found that if Ianto didn't mind they would have a quiet dinner at his house while the kids were asleep instead of going to this fancy restaurant. That's why he sought out the garden - after Ianto Jr had promised to look after his sibling for a bit - and ringed the younger man.

" Hello?" He whispered and could hear voices in the background.

" Hey, it's me... wait why are you whispering?" The Captain asked as the sun was shining on his face and he had to squint his eyes a little.

" Sleeping baby in the room, sorry, I was just visiting my sister." The man answered on the other side of the line and the Captain could hear a sigh after a door closed.

" That's better, sorry again,"

" What's there to apologize for, you don't want the kid to wake up do you?" The Captain answered and laughed quietly as he thought about that situation.

"No, so why were you calling? Not that I don't like hearing your voice." Ianto asked and he could imagine Ianto had been looking confused when he picked up the phone.

" About tonight..." Jack started but was quickly interrupted by a panicking Ianto Jr who ran into the garden with wide eyes.

" Wait a sec, Jr what's wrong?" Jack asked the boy who stopped in front of his legs.

" Felicia, she... she won't stop crying." The boy said a bit out of breath, Jack ruffled the boy's hair and smiled at him.

" I'll be there in a sec." He answered and the boy went running back upstairs to his little sister in need. The Captain forgot that he was still on the phone and went after the little boy. When he entered the room he could already see the girl calming down a bit. She was afraid, more than the others that her substitute mother would die and there would be no one to take care of them. The Captain took the little girl in his arms and placed her on his hip. Her head carefully tucked under his chin as he walked out of the room and sussed her while he put the phone back to his ear.

" Sorry to keep you waiting, I have a bit of a situation here right now. This little miss is feeling quite sick and if I'm away for more than a few minutes she starts crying like a champ. " He told the awaiting man on the other side of the line. Of course, he had heard everything that just happened.

" I see, so you want to cancel tonight." The younger man said disappointed but understood the reason.

" Yeah, or we could drink something tonight when the kids are asleep?" The Captain asked sheepishly and actually felt he was a little ashamed. For once his ego wasn't important to him.

" I'll do you one better, I'll come over tonight and make dinner and after the kids are asleep you'll serve us that drink you just promised!" Ianto told Jack and a smile came to the captains face. He hadn't deserved the first Ianto, but he really didn't deserve to meet Ianto yet again.

" It's a deal." He said and looked down at the sleeping angel in his arms.

-0O0-

" This is Ianto Jones, Ianto these little munchkins are Ianto and the twins Felicia and Jesper." the captain said as he introduced the kids to the intruder of their house. It had been around 5 in the afternoon when his second chance with Ianto arrived on his doorstep. The kids, ever the noisiest, ran towards the door and opened it with a smile on their face. The only thing the Captain had told them was that a friend of his would come by and make dinner for them. But he hadn't told them that they already knew this certain gentleman. So when the door opened and they saw the man of the supermarket in front of them they were shocked, to say the least. Felicia still being quite sick had stayed behind with him on the couch where all of them had been watching a Disney movie together in perfect peace. Ianto hadn't backed down from all the questions that were fired to his head the moment he stepped inside the house. Especially Ianto Jr knew exactly who he was and knew that the man had been here once before. While Jack persuaded the kids to continue to watch their movie,

Jack slipped into the kitchen with the younger man.

''How's your day been?'' they asked one another at precisely the same time, a laugh erupted from their throats.

Ianto was the first to answer with a: ''fine,''

But he could see that the man in front of him had been going through a tough day.

''How is she? She doing any better?'' Ianto asked worriedly as he put down the groceries on the kitchen table. The captain's smile faltered and the first time that day he showed his true feelings.

''She's going to be fine tomorrow. It's the state of her mental health I'm worried about.'' He said to the man in front of him, Ianto didn't know the kids that well yet and had only seen them all together once, but he knew there was far more going on than he ever dared to think about.

''Tell me later, when they're not around,'' he whispered and turned around towards the sink to wash his hands.

''You wanna help?'' he asked with a smile when he saw that the captain was starting to collect all the pots and pans they would need. It had been a long time since he had made such a big dinner. Jack smirked at Ianto and together they set to making the spaghetti bolognese the captain knew the kids loved so much. You could never go wrong with spaghetti for kids.

Not even an hour later they were all sitting together at the table eating their delicious meal. It had been all thanks to Ianto that it hadn't burned. His mind going all sorts of places when he had been in the small space of the kitchen with a man that looked, smelled, sounded and felt like the Ianto Jones he had lost so many years ago. It made his heart beat a thousand times quicker and he had a difficult time calming his raging mind. It had taken all his power to not jump the man as soon as the kids were soundly asleep in their bed and they were left alone in the living room.

''This wasn't how I envisioned my first date to be,'' Ianto said with a chuckle when he sat down on the couch with a glass of wine.

''We could have rescheduled,'' Jack said cheaply as he sat down on the other side of the bank and dared himself not to focus on the plush lips of the man in front of him.

''No, I wouldn't have traded it for the world, it was just unexpected,'' he said and let slip a sigh of which the captain didn't know the heritage.

" So what happened to the mother of your kids?" Ianto asked as he looked sideways to Jack who was shocked that Ianto would ask such a question. But then he remembered that he never told him that these kids weren't his, well sort of.

" I'm sorry!?" The Captain asked through his coughing fit, his face as red as a tomato while he tried to calm down, some water helped for the coughing but his mind went all sort of places.

" Your ex or whatever," Ianto said as he ran to the kitchen and came back with a glass of water for the choking man. Jack gladly accepted it and gulped down all the water. He waited with answering until he knew his lungs had calmed down, so he could speak clearly.

" They aren't my kids, sorry if I made you think that," he said and put the glass on the table. When he looked back at the young man in front of him he could see the sheer panic on his face, God knows what he was thinking right now.

" So whose kids are they?" Ianto said and looked anxiously around him trying to look for an emergency exit if he needed to. What had he gotten himself into?

" My friend, she... she's in a coma in the hospital, I'm looking after them for the time being." Jack still hadn't heard anything from the doctors, they understood that he wouldn't be able to come to see her every day, so if something happened, if she waked up or if she.... if something worse happened then they would call him straight away. But he refused to believe this would be her end.

" Oh!" Ianto said and relief was shown on his face. And the captain could see an apology in his eyes. Jack took the younger man's hand and squeezed it to show that nothing was wrong.

" And their father?" He asked calmly soon after.

" Don't get me started, I'm more of a father to them than that wanker." The captain said and averted the eyes of Ianto. He was still very much pissed on Mike that he hadn't even called to ask how things were going.

''I'm sorry, it's not my business.'' He said and the conversation changed to much happier things.

A glass of wine later and the captain had - after all - done what he had been trying not to do ever since Ianto had come. Currently, they were sitting -with far too many clothes - on the couch, kissing like a bunch of teenagers. His brain dared him to go further and poke his hand under the man's button-up when it happened.

A fierce scream travelled through the house and within a nanosecond, the captain was sitting upright and alert on the couch. It had been nothing like he'd heard before from the kids, so like any responsible parent, he started to panic - especially when he knew it could be a lot worse than a fever - and ran upstairs into the room. The gun he always kept in his jeans made ready while running - just like in the old days - and he slammed the door open, ready to shoot. He heard the younger man's feet behind him but at the moment he was more intrigued about why there was a man standing in his bedroom, with Ianto Jones Jr in his arms.

But what might be the most important thing was that the man - with his wrist strap - was vaguely familiar.


	7. We Will Remember

''We are gathered here today to celebrate the love and live of Ianto Jones...''

was the the first thing Jack heard that day when he was sitting on the front bench of the church. All the family members, friends and colleges had gathered today to mourn the loss of Ianto Jones, the man who once again had died so young. It had felt like a Deja Vu when he had been sitting there with Ianto Jones in his arms. Crying buckets of tears and praying to anyone who would hear him if they would spare his life. Ianto Jones had died a hero. But that didn't take away all the pain and guilt. If he hadn't asked Ianto on a date he wouldn't have been at the house. He wouldn't have died. His family wouldn't have to miss him and the wound in his heart that had been slowly healing had been torn open again.

A week later he could still hear his own anguished screams: " No.... not again, not Ianto!"

But there had been nothing he could've done. It should've been him.

" A life lost too soon," the man in front of him proclaimed. With puffy eyes, the Captain attended the funeral of his best friend turned lover. Mica's husband had - finally - arrived and was sitting next to him with the kids in between. The ice still hadn't been broken between them, but the children wanted to attend the funeral of the man who saved their life.

Ianto Jones saviour of the children.

" In order to remember the life of Ianto I'd like to read a poem, a poem about life and death:

It was beautiful as long as it lasted, the journey of my life, I have no regrets whatsoever, save the pain I'll leave behind.

Those dear hearts who love and care, and the heavy with sleep ever-moist eyes, the smile in spite of a lump in the throat and the strings pulling at the heart and soul,

The strong arms that held me up when my own strength let me down, each morsel that I was fed with was full of love.

At every turning of my life I came across good friends, friends who stood by me, even when the time raced me by.

Farewell, farewell my friends, I smile and bid you goodbye.

No, shed no tears, for I need them not, all I need is your smile, If you feel sad, do think of me, for that's what I'll like, when you live in the hearts of those you love, remember then... you never die. " The priest ended his speech and before he knew it they stood outside on the cold wet grass watching Ianto's body being lowered Into the ground, cold, death, gone.

In all those years he had walked the earth it never got any better seeing someone he cared about being buried into the deep cold ground.

The service was over and everyone was expected to go drink some coffee, eat a piece of cake - something that hadn't changed in the past couple of years - and talk about things he didn't want to talk about right now. But when the Captain turned around he was surprised to see yet another person from his past. The doctor was standing a couple of feet away, leaning against his big blue box with a saddened expression on his face. He'd been so busy with grieving, mourning the future he could've had, that he hadn't even heard the entrance of the Tardis - who he could hear from miles away - and walked towards the doctor who had been waiting for him to be noticed. If someone looked closely at him they would see defeat in his eyes.

" To what do I owe you this pleasure doctor?" The Captain greeted the doctor - with false cheer - as soon as they were in each others hearing distance. The doctor frowned and looked upon his old companion's miserable face. The doctor had never seen Jack like this before like he'd given up. The Jack he knew, the Jack he'd last seen, never went down without a fight. This Jack looked like he'd given up on life like he'd died on the inside, but had to walk on because he couldn't for a million years find the peace of mind and die. Because the doctor imagined that was what happened once people stepped out of life, their minds would finally be at peace. They didn't have to struggle through daily life anymore. The adventures the doctor and his companions had, were just something to occupy their minds. It would keep their thought off of their daily life, the struggles every living person went through - some worse than others - but in the end, everyone had to face the music.

''What's wrong Jack?'' the doctor asked the never-dying man as he'd stepped away from the funeral. The captain just shook his head and closed his eyes. He could see that the captain didn't want to talk about it, but experience told that talking - about something especially difficult - would help create a little peace in their mind. It wouldn't help a lot, but it helped to have a listening ear close by who helped you through this difficult time. Who understood, if even just a little.

''Come on inside, captain and we'll catch up with a nice cup of tea.'' The doctor said smiling a bit as he opened the door of his tardis and lead the captain through towards the kitchen.

''Make that a coffee for me,'' Jack answered and he could just imagine what kind of face the doctor was pulling at the thought of coffee. It was universally known that the doctor didn't like coffee and to be honest the captain much rather had something else because no coffee would ever match Ianto's coffee. But he made do. Jack sat down at the kitchen table and with a heavy sigh, he put his hands under his chin.

''How've you been doing these past couple of years Jack?'' the doctor asked as he was jumping through the kitchen to make both of their drinks ready to be served. A platter of biscuits landed in front of his elbows and he could see the doctor's pondering face for a second before he yet again turned around.

''It's been tough.'' He answered quick and easy.

" Make that a whiskey for me, double please," Jack said just before the kettle started to boil the water. The doctor looked grumpily up at the Captain as he'd just finished the disgusting coffee and was about to put it on the table, he turned around and threw the contents of the cup into the sink and started rummaging through one of the cupboards. With a triumphant smile, the doctor turned towards the table and put the bottle and an empty glass down in front of the Captain.

"What's bothering you, my friend?" The doctor asked as soon as he sat down opposite Jack with a steaming cup of tea. Jack had already started on the now almost half-empty plate of biscuits and to the doctor, it seemed like he was fleeing towards his imagination.

''I don't know doctor, I don't know.'' the captain muttered while chewing on a biscuit. While the doctor grabbed for his tea the captain took his glass and drank all of it in one gulp away. His eyes showed a pain the doctor had never seen before on any human being.

''I know too much and lived too little.'' Jack eventually exclaimed after he had downed another glass of whiskey. ''I know this may not make any sense to you doctor, but last week before it happened I was a proper happy man,'' Jack said and looked down at his hands, hands that had done too much bad in this world. But ever since he changed he was trying to right his wrongs.'' I was a better man because of you, became a better person. But in the end, all I do is lose loved ones. I had wished so many times that for just this once that I could be with someone...forever. And I thought that maybe this was my chance.'' The captain said and looked up at the doctor who was looking at him with a knowing smile. He too had lost too many people he cared deeply about, it was the curse of a timelord.

''I enjoyed reliving the past so much these past couple of weeks that I started to think for just a tiny moment that maybe this was it, maybe this was the universe granting me a second chance with Ianto. I knew he wasn't my Ianto, I know I'll never be able to get him back, but it felt like a second chance. Like Ianto came back to me, like an incarnation. This Ianto had been different in certain ways, but he still felt so familiar, so Ianto...'' Jack told the person in front of him and tears started to form in his eyes, which clouded his vision until he could only see blurs of the world around him. He prefered it this way, he wouldn't see the judgement in their eyes as he spoke of his past, his woes and all the things he could've done better.

''Jack my friend, what you did was only human, you loved the young man ages ago. That's not something that goes away quickly. So, of course, you would follow your heart instead of listening to your brain. That's perfectly rational.'' The doctor said and lay a hand on his hands as a gesture of compassion.

''It's just that if I had never interfered with his life he would've still been alive. alive and well,'' Jack said and he could feel one of the tears falling from his eyes. He could feel the track the wet tear left on his cheek and saw the spot where it had landed on his coat.

''Maybe you didn't interfere, maybe this was all meant to be?'' The doctor told Jack reassuringly.

''But what happened?'' The doctor asked as he himself finally took one the fine biscuit he bought on a far off planet just before disaster stroke. The captain looked - yet again - up to him and looked him in his eyes.

''We had a date, but because I was looking after the kids of a friend of mine we had been in my home and uhm... we were just kissing when there was this scream. And uhm...'' The captain proclaimed as he was willing his tears not to spill.

''Take your time.'' The doctor whispered as he saw the distress on his mate's face.

''This old college or more like an enemy from when I was working for the time agency came uhm came paying a visit. We didn't exactly part in a good way. He never liked me. He was standing in the bedroom with one of the kids in his arms. He... wanted to take them with him. As a punishment to me. Ianto always the hero that he is tried to save them, he stood before the other children, hid them behind his slim figure. But got shot through the stomach before I could fire my own gun at my ex-college. I killed him, right in front of the frightened children. But as soon as all three of the kids where safe, I went to Ianto and clutched his almost lifeless body in my arms. I just couldn't get myself to look after the kids at that moment. I reassured Ianto that everything would be alright all this bullshit you tell a dying person to calm them down. But the kids told me afterwards that I had been sitting with Ianto's lifeless body within my arms for quite a few hours, refusing to let him go. Even after the police had arrived. It was all just too much.'' The tears he had been so desperate to keep at bay had threatened to fall midway his story, but now someone could say he was properly sobbing, his story long from done, but this was all he could tell at the moment. It was more than he could bear.

-0O0-

It had been a challenging few days since the funeral, but if the doctor did everything alright no one would have known he was gone for more than a few hours. The doctor had decided to take him on a few adventures. Saving the universe alongside the doctor, it had been such a long time since he'd done that. But it had managed to keep him from going into self-pity again. From thinking what if... From his head going places where he didn't want them to go. Because sometimes what anyone just likes to do is escape the world towards the world of imagination, where everything seemed possible and nothing could go wrong. But that wasn't how life worked. So he knew that after the Tardis landed in the graveyard again it would be time to sort out the mess he'd made of his life in just a few short weeks. It had been like seeing the shadow of your past, too beautiful - and brief - to be true. But he'd had to live with the choices he'd made and like always he would deal with that. But it would take time, time to mourn, time to come to his senses again. When the doctor flew his ship back towards earth with a cheap smile plastered on his face the captain was mentally making up a list of what he had to do this coming week. The kids where safe with their dad but he still had to visit them, explain some more about the things that happened that night. Because he never fully explained to them, only that Ianto Jones was their hero - and would always be - so that's why they came to his funeral even while their 'dad' was against it at first. He had to visit Gwen and Mica and explain some more to the police and more he just couldn't think of.

The Tardis landed with a thud and Jack knew when it was time to go on. He stood up and with a sad smile, he waved the doctor goodbye.

''Jack, I don't know what is wrong, well more than usual of course, But it's like you have some unfinished business. Like something wants you to stay exactly where you are. I did some scans when you were knocked out last night, but I couldn't find a thing. Just watch out.'' The doctor said and watched as his friend exited the Tardis and walked back towards Ianto Jones's grave. It had started raining, but Jack didn't care about a bit of rain. For the last time that day he looked at the grave - without a gravestone - of his best friend, lover and so much more. In the corner of his eye, he could see an old lady walking towards the grave beside his. Her umbrella held high as she came to stand beside him holding the umbrella above both their heads.

''Did you know him well?'' The old lady asked as she looked at the captain with a sad smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't go, this story is long from done.


	8. Part 2: Through sickness and health

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new day, A new dawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning! An explanation at the end!

Humanity had just entered the 22nd century when all seemed well for some time. But like always appearances are deceptive. Within no time at all conditions seemed to worsen for the human race as an alien virus - or so Jack thought - spread around the world and soon grew out as a pandemic. Medical care had evolved as time went on, but like always no one had been prepared for this crisis. The captain had figured out that the virus had come through the rift - and had been a disease on an alien world. As no one knew where the virus had come from or how it came to be, the only possible knowledge available was that it had started by one man in Cardiff. From thereon it spread to other parts of the world. A vaccine of some kind hadn't been ready and from his long time working for the time agency the captain knew that there never had been one anywhere in the universe. But things could change, he only hoped it would be quick before he would come to be the only living creature on planet earth.

Within a short amount of time, a lot of people died from the very contagious virus and soon even the medical staff had gotten sick - some suffered a long and painful way to death others survived and had to come to work again - this eventually led to Jack volunteering in hospitals, because the captain... just couldn't die. Not even a virus got him killed - and that had happened more than he dared to admit - so he took his chance and helped the medical staff as they tried to save as many lives as they could. Hospitals had set up camps to divide the people, those they could do nothing for anymore were separated from the people who had the most chance to survive and those who were on their way to recovery. He was about to go on his first-round through the camp of people who had been given up. This was how he yet again met the extraordinary Ianto Jones.

After the captain had seen Ianto die for a second time he was almost certain that it had to be something alien. But how could that be when years later no one else could even remember the other Ianto Jones. His grave was there, yes, but with time the captain began to see the image he had seen of the duplicate as a hallucination, a fever dream or some complication of alien technology. By the time he was yet again to meet Ianto Jones he had all but forgotten about the hallucination until he bumped into him, but this time things went even quicker than before. As he was on his round of trying to assure the dying people that they would be safe, they would go to heaven - even while Jack personally didn't believe in it, he'd seen nothing but a black void - he wanted to make sure that their departure from this world was one in semi-peace. Because the pain they were feeling was far from pleasant or so he was told. And who better to do this than the man who would never die? He was about to see his last patient of the day as he entered the makeshift room and held his breath as he saw the figure on the bed. His eyes opened in shock as he recognised the person in front of him. There before him lay an about 13-year-old boy, looking very much like a younger Ianto Jones as he'd secretly seen in the photobook of Ianto. He looked so young, so at peace that for a moment the captain thought the young man had already left the world of the living. But as he quietly sat down on the chair next to the teenager's bed his eyes flew open.

He looked beside him and spotted the man on the chair. Ianto knew for sure that he was dead when the man of his dreams was sitting right next to him. A white light surrounded him and he looked just like an angel. But if he was dead, should he still feel this excruciating pain?

''Hey,'' The captain whispered in surprise as he knew what he should do but his brain was just blank at seeing a version of his beloved Ianto Jones.

Very weakly the younger man brought his arm up and waved. The captain knew that some people at the end of the stage lost their voice, but he didn't care. He would talk as much with this kid as he wanted to, he was his last patient of today so it didn't matter anyway.

''Is there anything I can do for you?'' Jack asked as he looked in awe to the teenager and immediately knew it was a stupid question to ask. Just before the kid opened his eyes he'd looked at his chart and had seen things he'd rather not. Ianto Jones had been the only living member of his family. Now at age 13, he was destined to die alone. This was something Jack had never wished on anyone, not even his worst enemy. Because dying on your own was the worst death imaginable. A parent was vital to a kid about to die, a parent would soothe you, would calm you down, would be there for you. But this kid had already been through so much these last couple of weeks and now he was about to die. Maybe it would give some peace to this kid's mind that he wouldn't be on his own. But still. The captain had known how to handle all the other people, mostly older persons, but he was the first where he had no clue at all how to proceed.

That day he stayed. All the time he had sat beside the teenager's bed and talked a bit about his life and he could see how he was listening to every word he told. He told stories about extraterrestrial life on earth and adventures with the doctor on far off planets. It was his way of calming down the young boy in front of him and at the same time himself.

He treated Ianto as if he was his own son as if he was the father of this magnificent kid in front of him. With his 13 years old he couldn't possibly flirt with the kid, that would be inappropriate, so he'd adjust. Before his eyes, Ianto Jones slowly died, not alone but with someone who deeply cared for him - even while he couldn't admit that - and as the boy took his last breath he could see the peace on his face as he was relieved of his pain. With one final goodbye, the Captain stood up, bent over and kissed Ianto Jones's forehead. A life lost too soon.

Many months later a cure was discovered and about more than half of the population of earth had survived. But in what way? So many lives had been lost. But mankind would survive, they were strong enough to survive the hardest battle ever fought.

One thing was certain, the virus put his stamp on the world and nothing would ever be the same again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I wrote this, back in January, things hadn't been this worse. I discussed it with some people about it but came to the conclusion I should still do it. I'm sorry if you lost someone in this gruesome battle, but I'll hope you continue reading my story.


	9. Part 3: A new beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some things are about to change for the better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning!

As time went on and mankind evolved the Captain began to feel more and more as if someone or something had taken a huge chunk out of his life. The Captain wasn't new to this feeling, he'd experienced it many times before, it was a common feeling people had when they were mourning their loved one after all. But this time it felt different, Jack hadn't experienced it like this before. But he still felt it as he woke up in his house in Cardiff on Monday morning ready to start his 'new' work.

After quite some years he'd decided to rebuilt Torchwood Three right where it had been, with of course some modern advances - as technology had evolved just as much - so it hadn't been the complete duplicate but for about 99% the building was exactly the same, even the secret lift and the tourist entrance had been recreated. The only thing that hadn't been possible was getting his old teammates back, don't get him wrong these new mates were more than splendid but his old team would always contain the people he longed so much for to see and work with again.

Torchwood had begun to feel like a family business ever since he reopened it again. While seeking new teammates, he was quite surprised to find a mash of old and new instead. Gwen, who had loved her involvement in the job had passed on this love to her descendants. Her great-great-great-great-grandchild - or something like that, god knows how many generations he'd skipped - Glenys - or Glen as she liked to be called - was currently working with him in the -not so - new hub. It felt very familiar as Jack - who had passed on his love for the job to Mica's son Ianto jr. - came to work with a descendant of the boy who he'd brought up alongside Mica. Gerwyn - Wales names still going strong many generations later - had been a brilliant doctor before he decided to work with his 'uncle Jack'. But he was just happy to feel at home again. Like Torchwood was what he'd been made for because it felt like returning to an old lover. The peace in his mind, on the other hand, was only temporary as an alarm went off and he saw that the rift -his old friend - had dropped him a welcome home present. The Captain smiled, put his coat back on and went to say hello to his old friend.

-0O0-

As Ianto Jones stood before the forefront of his new building, he smiled to himself as he thought about the past. As he closed his eyes he could see a better future, a happier future. One without abuse. Where his family was proud of him and the choices he made in life. Where his nan was looking down at him and his Tad proudly gave him a hug as his mother silently pinked away a few tears. Where he was simply happy and dared to be himself. No masks and no makeup to hide his bruises. Not having to be afraid of coming home and finally having the guts to call the police. He just set the first step into his new future. He only hoped that it would all come true. That it would actually make him happy. Or at least safer. As Ianto slowly opened his eyes again he whispered: ''I hope when you look down upon me that you'll be proud, mam.'' He looked towards the sky and he could imagine for just a second that those extra rays of sunshine came from her. He stared for a second longer to the forefront before he fished out his key and with a megawatt smile opened the door into his soon to be new life. His shoulders ached as he rolled them backwards, the mental image of last night long from forgotten and the urge to call the cops all the more present. But compared to others in that area, he was just a wimp.

He had opened a bar. Not a bar where people got hammered. But one where people could drink coffee during the day. Quality roast, not one of those instant coffee things. Where they could eat one of his brother-in-law's amazing cakes or pastries - as Dylan had already promised Ianto to work for him together in his coffee bar - right now he'd kill for one of these pastries and a good cup of coffee. But he was still standing in a - almost - empty store and the nearest place that sells coffee also sells the grossest coffee he'd ever tasted. And Ianto Jones had tasted more than his fair share of coffee in his life. More than most people would find healthy at least. With a heavy sigh, he looked around in glee, this was going to be his chance.

As he sat down on the cold and dusty ground he could remember what happened the night before, how he'd been molested but too frightened to do anything about it. His left hand covered the still swollen blue eye that he got from watching television when his partner wasn't home. The unusual sunny weather had provided him with a little coverage today as he had been permitted to wear sunglasses outdoors. But it was only a part of his ever-expanding injuries, the worst one till now was the scar that ran from his shoulders to his buttocks. That scar should've been his wake up call. It had been so deep at the time that he had to get stitches and couldn't lie down on his back for weeks. The only one knowing what was going on behind the closed doors of his house was his best friend and neighbour - Daffyd - a man three times his age, who encouraged him to do what was right. He owed him a lot. He was the reason he was standing here today. It was, after all, his idea that got him thinking.

As there was no electricity yet everything was dark around him as he sat on the ground, except the light that would stream through the windows that let him see the magical world of dust flying around him. How exquisite something so ordinary could be, he had no idea. Only right now everything seemed better than going back home. He told his boyfriend he had to go away to work for a couple of hours and wouldn't be back until 5 in the afternoon. This was of course not a complete lie, he did need to meet a couple of people for his business that would be opening very soon. Only he never told his partner that he was going to set up a new coffee bar. Some secrets you better kept to yourself until you knew for certain that you could live up to them. The silence around him did nothing good to his current state as the cog-wheels of his mind set up a trap that made him start to think about the events of last night. He'd been so uncareful. He knew - in the back of his head - that Richard didn't want him to watch television - Ianto had no idea why - or go to other people while he was gone, but it had been such a hectic day that he'd needed something to calm him down a bit, and nothing can calm you down or make your emotions go all over the place like a television can do. Calmly he'd sat in his favourite chair with a cup of coffee in his hand while he watched the nature show that was currently on. With nothing except the cute animals on his mind he sat there when he heard the door opening, a jacket was hung up and shoes taken off. The door to the living opened and all hell broke loose. A thick Scottish accent reached his ears before he could feel his skin tearing apart. Blood vessels around his eye broke which created a spectacular mess on his face. Blood was seeping down his face passing his nose and creating blood red stains on the carpet as it dripped down his chin. He could already feel his eye swelling and his rib breaking as the next blow landed on his chest. The stench of alcohol ever-present as he entered the house swaying with each step he took. The unhealthy amount of alcohol his liver had to process became more with every passing day. Before Ianto knew it his face was pressed into the carpet and he could feel his eye rubbing against the carpet hair, creating a new sort of torture in itself. No explanation was given as he got a few kicks in his side and after that was left alone crawling into a ball. The first breath he took afterwards ensured that Ianto coughed up more blood than he thought was possible, the remnants made his stomach upset as he could taste the iron flavour of the blood that passed his taste buds. The excruciating pain didn't help when he was trying to get up, but eventually, he was standing and swayed to the front door as he faintly heard the man on the television telling him about all the different species of fish combined with the soft snores of his boyfriend. He made it as far as the car before he looked at his eye and saw the devastating mess the man had made of his eye. With one of his old workout shirts - that he'd left in the car the last time-pressed tightly against his eye, he eventually made it to the closest A&E who firstly nagged at him why for god's sake he thought it was a bright idea to drive on his own with a cloth before one eye. Of course, Ianto knew it was a stupid idea, but anything better than calling an ambulance. Eventually after waiting for what seemed like hours he got stitches around his eye and an x-ray which showed broken ribs and resulted into being taped in and getting some painkillers for when the pain would be too much. That evening he decided to not go home and ended up at his sister's house after the doctor declared him unable to drive home alone. So after his car had been placed elsewhere, a nurse called his sister who was frantic and came as soon as she heard. She, of course, was glad to take him in and get him away from the - in her eyes - dangerous man. That too was why Dylan had to come with him and was currently walking into the store with a big smile on his face, but with worry visible in his eyes. A white shopping bag was dangling in his hand as he walked towards Ianto and came to sit down next to him. The smell of Danish pastries coming from the plastic bag next to him which made his stomach growl.

''You know this has to end mate.'' his brother in law told him as Ianto watched with growing interest at the pastries. His protesting stomach needed nutrition and demanded it right now. He focused his good eye on the bag as he spoke his next words: ''I know, but how...?'' he said more to himself than to the man beside him. In the end, his growing hunger got the better of him and he grabbed the bag from the man's hand and took the first Danish pastry he could find. He had gone longer without food but this time his stomach didn't want to hear anything about it and demanded food from its owner. Just as he was about to take a bite from the decent-sized pastry, Ianto could hear the soft tap tap tap from the rain droplets outside the building. The unpredictable Welsh weather decided to take a complete 360°

and make it rain. The sun still shone through the windows of the shop and soon a rainbow could be seen outside in the sky. If Ianto would step outside right now he would be able to feel the warm droplets of the rain dripping down on him while the sun would provide him with the warmth his skin would need to keep his body temperature high.

''It's actually quite simple if you think about it. There's a living space above this shop, take your stuff and live here from now on. If you tell your tenant that you're moving then he'll eventually take care of Richard and get him evicted or just call the cops on him.'' Dylan told him while he was quietly standing before the window, fascinatingly watching the rain drop down on the ground.

''You know it's not that simple. He'll do anything to find me, anything to hurt me one way or another.'' Ianto said avoiding watching Dylan as he'd never told his family and friends the whole truth as to why he still put up with the guy. He was terrified more than anything that he'd do something to his family, to his niece or to his father who was living a hermit's existence.

'' He wasn't always like this you know, he'd been so nice when we met.'' He mumbled mostly to himself.

He could still remember how they met, at a café just around the corner of this street. He'd been sitting at the terrace on an especially hot summer day waiting for his date to show up. A friend of his set him up with their niece - whom he'd never met - who'd just suffered a major breakup. He waited for two hours expecting the girl to show up, to no avail, just as he'd given up, this man stepped into his sunlight and asked him the question he'd been daring to ask himself: " what are you still doing here?"

At first, anger shot through him as the man sat down on the chair he'd been so desperately keeping reserved for his supposed to be date. It had been the only empty seat on the entire terrace hence why he'd been frantically keeping it empty. But the thing that really made him mad was that the guy in front of him was invading his privacy, after a while, a friendship blossomed which soon turned into more, but secretly he'd been pining after the man of his dreams - real or imaginary - it didn't matter that he'd never met the guy before or at least as far as he knew.

-0O0-

''This is Ianto Jones, I can't pick up the phone right now so leave a message after the beep.''

''Hey, Ianto it's Derwyn you know Daffyd's grandson if you forgot. You know grandad, he hasn't seen you in a while so he's quite worried about you. Oh and I've got a new job, quite a posh one, but I can't tell you more about it, secrecy and all that. If you'd be so nice to ring me back or visit gramps then you'll make me a happy man indeed. Cheers, and I hope you're in good health.''


	10. Pigeons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto finds out some interesting things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update.

The only thing Jack had missed when he entered the hub with his new team for the first time had been a WizKid. Someone as smart as Tosh. Someone who could hack the government without any trouble. It hadn't taken him long before he'd found the perfect candidate. Luc, who was his liaison with the police, had informed him of a young man currently hiding away in the cells of the police station. His crime… hacking the government and placing private documents of politicians online for everyone to see. Cardiff police station only had the young chap temporarily as he would soon be transported to his new cell, maybe even his new home for the coming couple of years. So he had to be quick in making his decision. He told Luc that he would be right there, hung up and put on his jacket. With a quick ‘’ You’re in charge.’’ he left the building and drove his new SUV to the station. There he met with a boy far too young for the crimes he'd done. Luc had put the - in his eyes - boy in one of the new interrogation rooms. He was handcuffed onto the table and his glasses stood askew on his nose. When the door opened the boy looked up and an annoyance covered his face.

" Derwyn Callaghan, Caught for hacking and trying to give people money by hacking the banks. Tell me boy are you, Robin Hood?" Jack said as he sat down on the chair on the other side of the table. The boy briefly smiled and rolled his eyes.

" Nothing to say? What would your granddad say when the police call him? Don't you think it would break his heart if he hears that you're going to prison for quite some time?" He looked sharply up at Jack, fear was visible in his eyes when he mentioned his grandfather. 

" I see I've found a weak spot, tell me why are you so desperately trying to give other people money that they shouldn't get?" Jack asked and tilted his head, the boy just shook his head keeping silent.

" Alright let's say it this way, I might but only if you cooperate, have a way out," Jack said, he put the document - containing all the boys' information - down on the table and shoved it towards him. 

" If you come to work for me I promise to clean your criminal record. A new start, a proud family and a fantastic job. At the snap of my fingers, I can give you that, but your loyalty has to be with me. I need your word on that." As he'd finished talking and the boy still hadn't answered anything he stood up and was about to leave.

" I'd suggest you think quickly about it as you'll be transported in an hour. I'll hear if you accept." Jack said and opened the door, Luc was on the other side waiting for Jack who exited with a smile on his face.

" What did he say?" Luc asked as he still had to make sense of the smile on Jack's face.

" Nothing, but he will," Jack said and followed Luc into his office. Within half an hour an agent came towards the pair of them and told them the answer Jack had known he would get.

" He accepts." And with those two little words, a big process was set into motion. 

\--0O0--

In the short period of a month, Ianto had transformed the empty building into a beautiful bar. Coffee was stocked and the kitchen was ready. His friends had helped him to paint the walls and many happy memories were stuck in his head of the hours that they had spent transforming it into such a beautiful place. Tomorrow, tomorrow would be the day when everything changed. Tomorrow a new day arises.

Even while he had collected his things and went to live - temporarily- with his sister and brother-in-law, Ianto still hadn't found the guts to phone the police. But tomorrow a new him would exist. A braver man.

But for now, it was time to pay a certain someone a visit. One that he'd been trying - for quite some time - to delay.

Visiting his mam.

\--0O0--

With fresh flowers - daisies her favourite- Ianto walked slowly onto the graveyard. It never ceased to amaze him how quiet it always was. The gravel path led him towards the back of the graveyard where his mother had been buried all these years ago. He could still remember how he’d stood there watching the coffin being lowered into the cold hard ground. A peaceful place for her final resting place. That day the tears hadn’t stopped coming, he’d heard many relatives whispering about it. Like a man wasn't allowed to cry. The final goodbye had been the hardest on him, yeah he’d cried when he’d seen her stone-cold body in the coffin, but then he’d at least been able to see her. Now the only times he would be able to see his mother were in pictures and in his mind’s eye. For a long, while he’d dreamed about her, dreamed about her never dying. It only worsened the pain in the end. 

As he finally stood before the grave that he’d been avoiding for such a long time now, the tears threatened to come out and play again. And he let them. He sat down on the ground just before her gravestone and put down the bouquet with daisies. 

‘’Hey mam, how's everything going up there?’’ Ianto asked quietly as he sat on the cold wet ground, he knew there would be stains on his pants, but for once he didn’t care.

‘’I’m doing better as you can see. Finally got out of that toxic relationship, you would’ve killed me if you were still alive. Everything's fine right now though, almost got killed, you must have been my guardian angel. I was on the brink of death a while ago. Got the stupid idea inside my head that it had been my fault. Sis knocked some sense into me luckily. She was frantic, made me promise to live with her while I was healing. She’s a good sister, the best you can wish for. Has Tad been here recently, these flowers seem fresh.’’ Ianto said as his eye wandered to other flowers on the grave. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another tall man walking with a bouquet of flowers to someone's grave. He seemed familiar as his long military-looking coat flapped in the wind as he’d walked further towards the back. As Ianto looked around towards where the man had gone, he saw him standing in the shade of an old tree looking down at the gravestone in front of him. In order to give the man, some privacy Ianto turned back around and focused on his mother again and started to whisper to her instead of talking aloud.

‘’If Tad’s been here then you might’ve already heard but I tell you all the same. I’m opening a coffee bar, together with Dylan. I’ll make the coffee as we both know that he isn’t capable of producing a decent cup of coffee and he’ll make those delicious pastries and more. It’s a win-win for both of us.’’

When he saw the man in the military coat disappear towards the entrance his attention shifted again towards the other grave. He’d been here quite a few times and never had he seen a grave under that big a tree before. So out of curiosity, he walked towards the big tree after he’d said a proper goodbye to his mam. Somewhere before the grave, the gravel path stopped and there was only grass left to walk on. He stepped into grass and walked past the bushes that hid the gravestone from view. Under the big tree, a gravestone with many fresh flowers lay hidden from other people.

The name on it shocked him a bit but at the same time wasn’t that weird as it was a very common name in Wales. The twin graves in front of him looked almost the same, one from around one hundred years ago and read:

‘Ianto Jones’

‘Died protecting all the children on earth.’

And the second one, a bit more recent, from around 50 years ago read:

' Ianto Jones'

'Died protecting the godchildren of his dear friend.'

Both cases were so similar and both graves were wearing the same name. It seemed very odd.

\--0O0--

Deciding that he wanted to clean his mother's grave a bit and water the plants Ianto stayed at the graveyard a little longer.

How long? He had no idea, but he knew that it had been longer than he’d intended to when he suddenly saw a very familiar face running past him.

‘’Derwyn?’’ he mumbled to himself as he looked at the person running away.

‘’Hey, Derwyn what are you doing here?’’ Ianto yelled at the retreating form of his old neighbour's grandson. When Derwyn heard his name he turned around in shock and saw Ianto walking towards him. With a big smile on his face, Derwyn ran towards Ianto and took him into his arms.

‘’Oh I’ve missed you, granddad’s been so worried about you!’’ he said as he took a step backwards from the man in front of him to see if his body was still whole.

‘’How’ve you been? I haven’t seen you in ages Derwyn, how’re things going at school?’’ Ianto asked as they slowly walked side by side towards the nearest bench where they sat down and had a nice and quiet chat. On their way, they passed a woman who looked Derwyn in the eye and frowned. Derwyn just shook his head and tried to sign that he was held up and would see them later. It had been his intention to do it sneakily, without Ianto noticing, but Ianto had seen everything and demanded answers.

‘’What’s going on? Do you know her?’’ He asked as he stopped where he was going and turned around watching the retreating form of the young woman.

‘’She’s... sort of… my college,’’ Derwyn exclaimed nervously and not at the least convincingly. Ianto turned back towards his friend and frowned, he had this look on his face that said: ’now tell me the truth! ’ 

‘’Alright, Ianto I need you to promise not to freak out or tell a living soul about this!’’ Ianto nodded so Derwyn continued his story.

‘’A short while ago I was in trouble, proper trouble, the cops got me and well if he hadn’t come I would’ve been in jail for a long time to come,’’ Derwyn said and he could feel a lump in his throat preventing him from swallowing his saliva. Ianto watched his friend with anxious eyes but when no further explanation came he spoke up again.

‘’Derwyn what have you done?’’ He could barely keep the anger out of voice, eventually, he looked his friend in the eye and anxiously started to speak again.

‘’I hacked some very important people, let’s keep it at that. This man, Captain Jack Harkness, gave me a second chance. But then I had to work for his organisation. I accepted and now I work for this secret organisation that deals with alien threats.’’ To Ianto, this explanation sounded like bullshit, like an excuse to cover up his real problems.

‘’Why aren’t you at school?’’ Ianto just asked as nothing else coherent came out of his mouth.

‘’Really Ianto, I tell you I work with aliens and you ask me if I’m going to school?’’ Derwyn took Ianto’s hand and led him towards the nearest bench as they were still standing and he was afraid his friend's knees would be giving out soon to shock. They sat down together and he could see how pale Ianto’s face had become - even paler than his normally pale face.

‘’I got kicked out of Uni as soon as they heard what I’d done. My family doesn’t know yet, they think I’m going to school every morning and stay out late to party. It’s better if they believe that. Keeps them out of harm's way. ‘Cause you see, it’s a dangerous job.’’ He fumbled a bit with his clothes and straightened his shirt, while he had been talking he was avoiding looking Ianto straight into his eyes because he knew what he would think. Ianto would demand him to stop. Stop and go back to his family. Back to Uni where he would be safe. But the thing is, he didn’t want to, he wanted this job!

‘’So why are you here? Here in particular, with your college that doesn’t look old enough to work with you?’’ Ianto asked as he took Derwyn’s chin in his hand and lifted it up so he would be able to look him in the eye while he spoke.

‘’Well, you’re going to think I’m mental. We’re looking for an alien species who look almost exactly like pigeons. They’re attacking people all through the city and we have to put a stop to it.’’ Derwyn explained and looked at Ianto with a pleading look in his eye. 

‘’I’ve heard about that, people complaining that when they were feeding the birds that there were pigeons who started picking at their flesh, sounds like some weird horror story. But is it real? Should I be worried? Do you need help?’’ Derwyn nodded so, in turn, Ianto let go of his friend's chin.

‘’We have everything under control, but I should really be going soon. They’re waiting for me.’’ His friend said while he was fishing something out of his pocket. It seemed like some sort of tracking device. Multiple red dots could be seen on it from a distance and Ianto wondered what it was.

‘’Pigeons rule the world,’’ Ianto mumbled under his breath and a smile started to spread on his face. Mam had been right.

‘’What?’’ Derwyn asked confused when he looked up from the device and back at his friend. A worried look could be seen on his face as he wondered what was going through his best friends head at the moment.

‘’Nothing just something my mam used to say when I told her I wanted to become the Prime Minister.’’

  
  



End file.
